Lead

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were ordered to shelter in their docked spacecraft on Friday as Russian cosmonauts worked to repair a worsening air leak in the station's Russian segment. The precautionary measure, ordered by NASA, came after the leak rate escalated, prompting concerns about the safety of the crew.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from multiple outlets, including Al Jazeera, BBC — World, Dawn, France 24 — English, The Guardian — World, South China Morning Post, TASS — English, and The Hindu — World, confirm that five astronauts were directed to enter the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station. The order was issued by NASA mission control at 9:04 a.m. ET on Friday, according to NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens, as reported by several outlets.

The astronauts were told to don their spacesuits in case the air leak warranted an emergency evacuation. The Dragon spacecraft functions as a lifeboat, attached to the station but ready to detach at short notice. After roughly two hours, NASA reversed the order and allowed the astronauts to return to the station, as reported by BBC — World, Dawn, and South China Morning Post.

While most outlets focused on the immediate sheltering order, TASS — English provided additional details, reporting that Roscosmos Deputy Head for Piloted Programs Sergey Krikalyov confirmed the NASA astronauts had returned to the ISS and were continuing work in normal mode. TASS also reported that Roscosmos announced on June 5 that cosmonauts had found two potential air leaks in the Zvezda module, with the first leak quickly sealed and work underway to seal the second.

Key Claims

  • Air leak location and escalation: The air leak is located on the Russian portion of the ISS, specifically in the Zvezda service module. According to a senior NASA official who asked not to be named, as cited by France 24 — English and South China Morning Post, the leak rate escalated from one pound of air per day to two pounds.
  • Disagreement over repair method: BBC — World and Dawn reported that Russian cosmonauts attempted to fix the leak using a saw, but NASA disagreed with this method and ordered safe-haven procedures. This claim was carried by a single outlet and not yet independently verified.
  • Duration of leaks: BBC — World reported that the cracks responsible for the leaks have persisted on and off for around six years. This claim was carried by a single outlet and not yet independently verified.
  • Roscosmos announcement: TASS — English reported that Roscosmos announced two potential air leaks in the Zvezda module, with the first leak quickly sealed. This claim was carried by a single outlet and not yet independently verified.
  • Crew details: The four astronauts of NASA's Crew-12 mission — two US astronauts, a French astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut — along with another US astronaut, were ordered to shelter. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, as reported by BBC — World and Dawn.

Perspectives

NASA: NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said the agency directed the astronauts to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft "out of an abundance of caution" while the repair was underway. She added that NASA continues to work with Russian counterparts and the international community to arrive at a more permanent resolution, as reported by Al Jazeera and TASS — English.

Roscosmos: Roscosmos Deputy Head for Piloted Programs Sergey Krikalyov said the NASA astronauts had returned to the ISS and that nothing endangers the crew's safety. Roscosmos also said its experts had detected two leaks but that there was no immediate threat to the crew or the spacecraft's systems, as reported by TASS — English and South China Morning Post.